Road marker or monument



' A. P. GILBERT ROAD MARKER OR MONUMENT April 13 1926.

Filed June 20, 1925 III II, II mum...

WITNESSES 7a Xh M M l a I Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED sTArss ALBERT I. GILBERT, 0F DURHAM,NORTH CAROLINA.

ROAD MARKER R MON MEN APP Tcation fi d un 20, 25-.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, Annua P, Greener, a citizen of the United States,residing at Durham, in the county of Durham and State of North Carolina,have invented new and useful Improvements in Road Markers or Monuments,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to road markers or monuments.

The object is to provide an artificial structure in the form' of a roadmarker or a monument which is composed of elements or sections easilyand economically manufac tured, shipped separately in knocked-downcondition and, readily set up or assembled and rigidly held together tohave all the appe e, st gt and a ility of a m lithic structure.

Another object is to provide a structure of this class which may bemanufactured of concrete having suitable reinforcing means to insureagainst the force of winds or other destructive elements, the saidstrucre in d ng Sepa a e p nel slabs Which may be mad a th pla f manfacture with great care and precision to include suitablen'oaddirections, advertises its, info m n, ep taphs r her nscriptions, theseveral parts of the structure,

including said panels, being easily crated in separated condition toguard against damage or destruction while being shipped, and easily andquickly put together at'the proper point along a road, etc., in acemetery or other location to remain permanent- 1y p ition A finalobject is to provide a marker, sign or monument composed of pre-formedsections or members which are capable of great variation in form, sizeand proportions and perfection in artistic finish to serve for the moresimple forms of signs or markers or to comprise the. parts of larger andmore imposing and dignified monuments. tombstones or the like, the saidsections or members, in all instances, being held together by simple andcheaply constructed and easily installed locking means, whichgreatlysim.

plify the operation of assembling the markers or monuments by automaticengagement of the cooperating elements thereof, to per.- manently holdthe structure together and 'design of the marke'r'or monument,

Serial No. 38,538.

of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figures Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a road marker or monument constructed in accordance withthe invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarg d e a se i al view of one of the joints.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4.{t of Figure 2.

Fig r 5 i a plan ie of th base s ction or member of the structure.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of, one element of the lockingmeans used in the joints. 7

Referring to the drawing there is shown a structure such as might beused for a road marker or a small monument, it being understood, as hasbeen stated, that the same may be of many other designs and sizes to beused for different purposes.

The structure includes a base member 1 in the form of an open ringformed of suit able concrete and which may be square in plan view asshown in the drawing, or of any other desired shape depending on the Theopen formation supplies suiiicient strength to support the memberssuperimposed thereon, in a manner to be explained, and further serves tocheapen the cost of construction thereof, and enables the same to behandled more easily in shipment, it being understood that the severalparts are intended to be made at the factory in great numbers andshipped to the points of use, after suitably crating the same.

The upper surface of the base ring has its outer marginal edges bevelleddownwardly, as indicated at 2, for the purpose of shedding rain waterand moisture from the exposed portion thereof, as will be understood,and the said base member may be reinforced, if deemed necessary, as inthe case of large sizes, with any foan of rod or mesh reinforcement.

On the horizontal inner portion of the upper surface of the base ringthere are provided a series of spaced sockets 3 set into the concreteduring the process of making the same, said sockets being in the form ofmetal boxes closed on all sides except the tops thereof, which areadapted to lie flush with the surface of the base and which are providedwith entrance slots a narrower than the widths of the boxes for apurpose to be explained.

In the square form of the structure, as shown, the shaft of the markeror monument is comprised by four equal, upwardly tapered side members orsections 5, the bases of which are adapted to rest upon the hori zontalportions of the respective sides of the base ring, and the outer marginsof which are provided with downwardly extending, beveled flanges 6 tooverlap the upper or inner portions of the beveled edges 2 of the basering, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, for theobvious purpose of making a tight joint therebetween and excluding theentrance of water or moisture.

One opposite pair of tapered side members or sections 5 is provided, ontheinner face of each, with an inclined groove 7 arranged close to andparallel with the tapering side edges thereof, said grooves being formedbetween inner and outer flanges 8 formed integrally with the sidemembers, which are all constructed of concrete and preferably reinforcedby embedded rods 9, or any other form of metal mesh or the like incommon use for this purpose, said rods being suitably bent wherecrossing each other.

Mounted within the groove 7 and midway between the flanges 8 are aseries of sockets 10, similar to the aforesaid sockets 3 in the basemember, the same being spaced at suitable intervals and having theirslotted sides flush with the face of the member between the flanges,said sockets being also placed in position during the process of makingthe side members.

The tapered side members or sections 5 having the grooves formed on theinner faces thereof are also provided on their outer faces withdepressed panels 11- to lighten the structure, and to provide anattractive and ornamental design as well as to provide an advantageousspace for inscriptions or lettering of either depressed or raised form,which may be cast in the concrete or cement during the process ofmanufacture.

The other opposite pair of tapered side members or sections 5 are notprovided with the flanges on the inner face thereof, but the flat edgesof the same are adapted to fit between the flanges 8 of the firstdescribed pair of side members, as clearly shown in Figure 4 of thedrawing, and to be securely locked in position by means of connectingplates 12 formed of metal and having their major portions embedded inthe carrying member and adapted to be forced or snapped through theaforesaid slots of the sockets 10 wherein they are held fromdisconnection by spring tongues 13.

The last named pair of sections 5 are not provided with the exteriordepressed panels, but at their lower ends are provided with an enlarged,horizontal, marginal flange 14 which, when the four panels are properlyassembled and held together by said fasteners, completes the effect of apanel on each of the four exterior faces and surrounded by frames, andgiving the effect of a substantial inclined corner post at each cornerof the shaft of the monument or marker.

After the four side members are secured together as above described, thesame are then applied to the base member, each side section beingequipped with depending metal plate connectors 15, formed and held inposition in the lower edges of said members, in the same manner and inposition to be introduced into the entrance slots 4 of the sockets 3 inthe upper face of the base member 1. The spring tongues of theconnectors 15 effectually preventthe separation of the shaft of themonument from the base thereof, by contacting with the wall of the metalboxes at each side of the entrance slots of said sockets 3.

The upper, narrow ends of each of the side members are each providedwith one or more upstanding connecting plates 1t formed and held inposition in the same manner as the connectors 12 and 15, and providedwith similar spring tongues for engagement with sockets 17 carried onthe under surface of a cap piece 18, which n'iay be of pyramidal form,as shown, and which is of a size to overlap the outer walls of the sidemembers and to lie flush with the faces of the said corner posts so asto complete the panel effect on all four sides of the shaft in anobvious manner.

All of the sockets and connecting plates used to hold the side memberstogether and to hold the latter upon the base, as well as to hold thecap piece in place, are formed in like manner, said connectors beingformed of suitable sheet metal having the outwardly extending springtongues 13 formed in their exposed portions, as clearly shown in Figure6, and having their embedded portions anchored in the concrete or cementof the carrying member by means of oppositely disposed, outwardlyextending spring tongues 19 which prevent the connector from beingpulled out of its anchorage, while the tongues 13 are reversely disposedso as to prevent Withdrawal of the same from the coacting socket. Theconnectors used to hold the side members together are straight, as shownin Figure 4 of the drawing, while those used to hold the shaft to thebase member and to hold the cap piece in place are slightly bent, asshown in Figure 6, so as to conform to the inclined sides of the shaft.All sockets and seams may be supplied or treated with thin, liquidcement to effectually exclude all moisture, said sockets being entirelyfilled, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple, cheaply manufactured,and strong and durable monument or marker has been provided which may bereadily manufactured and shipped in sections with any desired matterinscribed thereon, the same to be easily and quickly set up on locationwith a minimum amount of labor, the locking means being such as togreatly facilitate such operations and serving to rigidly hold the partstogether in a manner to defy disconnection or di'smounting exceptthrough complete destruction.

What is claimed is 1. A sectional road marker or monument comprisingseparately formed, reinforced concrete elements or members, the severalmembers having, in their meeting edges, interfitting spring tongueconnectors and sockets respectively, adapted to automatically lock themembers together when assembled.

2. A sectional road marker or monument comprising a base having a seriesof sockets formed in its upper face, separate side slabs or membersadapted to fit together to form a shaft and having spring tongueconnectors in their lower edges for engagement in said sockets, similartongues and sockets located in the meeting edges of the said slabs forholding the same together, and a cap piece having sockets in its underface, said slabs having tongues for engagement with the last-namedsockets to hold the cap in place.

3. A sectional road marker or monument comprising a hollow structureincluding a base ring formed of concrete, spaced metal boxes embedded inthe upper face of said base flush with the same and provided withentrance slots, a plurality of enclosing slabs or panels adapted to fittogether to form a shaft, metal plates projecting from the lower edgesof the slabs or panels in registering relation to the said entranceslots and provided with outwardly projecting spring tongues to bedepressed on entering the slots and to spring back and engage the topsof he boxes at each side of the slot to pre vent removal of the slabsfrom the base, means for locking the slabstogether, a cap piece adaptedto rest on top of the slabs and means for locking the same in place.

4. A sectional road marker or monument comprising a concrete base ringrectangular in form and having spaced sockets in its upper face andextending around all sides thereof, opposite pairs 'of tapering,reinforced concrete side slabs' or panels each adapted to receiveindicia or inscriptions on its outer face, one pair of opposite panelshaving grooves on their inner faces and near their outer edges andprovided with spaced sockets in said grooves, the other pair of oppositepanels having their side edges fitting in said grooves and provided withspaced spring tongues to automatically engage in the sockets, all of thepanels having spring tongues in their lower edges to engage with thesockets in the base and also having spring tongues in their upper edges,and a concrete cap piece having sockets in its lower face to engage thelast-named tongues, all to comprise a road marker or monumenthaving amonolithic appearance. 5. A sectional road marker or monument comprisinga concrete base ring, side panels and cap piece, said base ring havingsockets in its upper face, said side panels having connecting platesprojecting from their lower edges for coaction with the base sockets tohold the panels on the base, said panels having respectively connectingplates and sockets in their meeting faces for coaction to hold thepanels together, said panels also having connecting plates projectingfrom their upper edges, and said cap piece having sockets in its lowerface for coaction with the last-named connecting plates to hold the cappiece in place on top of the side panels.

6. A sectional road marker or monument comprising a concrete base ring,side panels and cap piece, said base ring having sockets in its upperface, said side panels having connecting plates projecting from theirlower edges for coaction with the base sockets to hold the panels on thebase, said panels having respectively connecting plates and sockets intheir meeting faces for coaction to hold the panels together, saidpanels also having connecting plates projecting from their upper edges,and said cap piece having sockets in its lower face for coaction withthe last-named connecting plates to hold the cap piece in place on topof the side panels, said sockets each comprising a metal box having anentrance slot in one face and embedded in the concrete with the slottedside flush with the surface of the concrete, and and in reverse relationto the embedded said connecting plates each having OH tWELI'dtongues, tosnap into the socket box through 1 ly extending oppositely inclinedspring the entrance slot to automatically and pertongues integrallyjoined at one end to said manently lock the members together.

5 plate and adapted to engage the concrete of In testimony, that I claimthe foregoing the carrying member on the end embedded as my own, I havehereto affixed my signatherein, the tongues of the exposed portion ture.of the plate being also oppositely disposed ALBERT P. GILBERT.

